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What makes a legend? An interview with actor Douglas Booth on the Cartier Tank

The actor delves into his family history to find out what it takes to stand out from the crowd and stir something deep within

November 12 2017, 12:01am

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As an actor you are often drawn towards legends – whether portraying them in a role or working alongside them. In learning from such impressive icons I have often considered what makes something legendary.

Legends aren’t created overnight, they are born out of commitment, focus and dedication. Crucially, they must also stir something within us: passion, wonderment, excitement. Legends are not statues, they come alive and are part of our shared humanity; be they an iconic character to be rendered on screen or a masterpiece of design to be worn and loved.

It is hard to believe that the Cartier Tank was designed a century ago. It is the epitome of a legend – steeped in history but as modern and covetable today as it was from the beginning.

The Cartier Tank holds a particular place in my own family history. My grandfather, Rafael, was not a wealthy man – he was head chef to the late Lady Baillie at Leeds Castle and that was where my mother spent her childhood. But he had an appreciation for fine things, even though he couldn’t always afford them. And so, after saving for a long time, he bought my grandmother, his wife, a Cartier Tank. It was, for him, the perfect way to demonstrate how much he loved her.

I have such vivid and fond memories of that watch growing up: its elegant lines, the tiny sapphire on the crown – it is, and was, precious but always practical. My mother wears the watch every day and one day my sister will inherit it.

I love the idea that this watch was a symbol of my grandfather’s love for his wife and that my mother still carries that love with her. I own my own Cartier Tank now, a companion to the one that will be my sister’s.
I hope to pass it on to my own child, if I have one, and start another family tradition.

True legends for me are people with warmth and depth, and objects imbued with meaning and significance. They withstand the tests of time, they are worth sharing; whether a story to be told or a watch to be treasured and passed on.

Tank is legend

A roll call of legends have chosen to sport the Cartier Tank since its earliest days. Beginning with General Pershing, who was presented with one on the Allied Victory of 1918, all the way through to the many modern-day icons of stage, screen, art and royalty who have been drawn to the Tank’s innovative design.